The  Precinct  Plan 


Bulletin  XII 
United  War  Work  Campaign 
for  $170,500,000 
November  11-18,  1918 


SERIES  OF  CAMPAIGN  BULLETINS 


I.  Organization  in  the  City,  Large  or  Small 
II.  Organization  in  the  County 
III.  Preparation  and  Assignment  of  Lists 
IV.  Victory  Boys 
V.  Victory  Girls 
VI.  The  Campaign  among  Students 
VII.  The  Campaign  in  Industries 
VIII.  Publicity  Organization  and  Distribution 
IX.  Meetings:  How  to  Plan  and  Conduct 
X.  Campaign  in  Army  and  Navy  Camps 
XL  Collection,  Custody,  and  Forwarding  of  Funds 
XII.  The  Precinct  Plan 


Issued  by  the 
OFFICE  OF  THE  DIRECTOR  GENERAL 
347  Madison  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


THE  PRECINCT  PLAN 


(The  following  plan  was  used  widely  in  the  Second  Red  Cross 
Campaign  and  with  particular  success  in  Los  Angeles,  California, 
under  the  direction  of  Director  Harry  Haldeman.  It  will  be  found 
suggestive,  and  if  used,  should  be  regarded  as  supplementary  to  the 
plan  outlined  in  Bulletin  I. 

This  plan  applies  in  particular  to  large  towns  and  cities. 

The  election  precinct  (that  is,  the  smallest  voting  division)  is  used 
as  a  unit.  The  Campaign  Executive  Committee  of  the  city  should 
appoint  in  each  Precinct  a  Captain,  who  in  turn  secures  from  his 
Precinct  a  team  of  ten  workers.    It  is  the  duty  of  this  team : 

(1)  To  obtain  a  complete  census  of  the  Precinct  and  to  list  the 
names  in  alphabetical  order.  This  list  of  residents  of  the  Precinct  may 
be  displayed  in  Precinct  headquarters  if  it  is  thought  desirable. 

(2)  To  secure  Precinct  headquarters  which  are  to  be  open  con- 
tinuously throughout  the  Campaign.  The  location  of  these  Precinct 
headquarters  should  be  made  known  throughout  the  Precinct  by 
signs  displayed  in  prominent  places. 

The  prevention  of  duplication  of  effort  is  important  in  the  Campaign. 
During  the  first  four  days  of  the  Campaign  the  Precinct  teams  will 
make  no  active  solicitation,  but  will  be  represented  continuously  at 
their  headquarters  for  the  receiving  of  voluntary  subscriptions.  As  the 
canvass  of  the  listed  names  proceeds  during  the  first  four  days  of  the 
Campaign,  each  subscriber  will  receive  a  certificate  of  subscription. 
The  subscriber  will  take  this  certificate  to  his  own  Precinct  head- 
quarters, where  it  will  be  exchanged  for  the  official  button  of  the 
Campaign  and  the  amount  of  his  subscription  will  be  recorded  opposite 
his  name.  All  subscriptions  made  voluntarily  at  the  Precinct  head- 
quarters are  also  recorded.  The  fact  that  the  insignia  or  button  is 
given  out  by  Precinct  headquarters  only,  makes  it  necessary  for  each 
subscriber  either  to  make  his  subscription  to  his  Precinct  Committee 
or  have  his  subscription  recorded  in  order  to  get  his  button.  In  this 
way  it  is  possible  for  the  Precinct  team  to  determine  who  has  made 
a  subscription. 

On  the  morning  of  November  15th  the  Precinct  Team  will  set  about 
making  a  canvass  of  the  Precinct  to  secure  subscriptions  from  those 
who  have  not  yet  been  recorded  as  subscribers  to  the  fund.  Solicita- 
tion will  continue  throughout  the  balance  of  the  campaign  until  every 
resident  of  the  Precinct  has  been  accounted  for. 

The  Precinct  teams  should  be  controlled  through  a  Department 
of  Inspectors,  each  Inspector  having  jurisdiction  over  ten  Precincts. 
It  is  the  duty  of  the  Inspector  to  assist  his  Precinct  in  solving  its  diffi- 
culties, to  collect  returns,  and  to  distribute  supplies.    This  method 


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makes  much  simpler  the  problem  of  handling  so  large  a  number  of 
small  organized  districts. 

The  reason  for  postponing  the  Precinct  canvass  until  the  last  two 
days  of  the  Campaign  is  to  insure  the  most  productive  method  of 
solicitation  of  the  more  important  prospective  givers.  The  central 
campaign  teams,  meeting  daily  for  luncheon,  and  composed  of  the 
more  influential  business  men  of  the  city,  will  undoubtedly  be  able 
to  secure  much  larger  contributions  through  their  method  of  appeal 
than  will  be  possible  through  a  house-to-house  canvass  by  the  Pre- 
cinct teams. 

The  Captains  of  the  Precinct  teams  should  meet  with  the  central 
campaign  teams  at  the  noon-day  luncheons  in  order  that  they  may 
share  in  the  spirit  of  the  Campaign  and  carry  the  enthusiasm  back  into 
their  Precinct  organization. 

The  Precinct  plan  does  not  preclude  a  choice  on  the  part  of  the 
resident  of  a  Precinct  of  the  agency  through  which  he  may  wish  to 
make  his  subscription.  He  may  subscribe  through  one  of  the  central 
teams,  through  a  team  in  the  industrial  plants,  or  through  any  other 
agency  authorized  to  receive  subscriptions.  In  order,  however,  to  be 
recorded  as  a  subscriber,  he  must  deposit  his  certificate  of  subscription 
in  the  Precinct  in  which  he  lives. 

Members  of  Precinct  teams  are  urged  not  to  attempt  to  get  the 
residents  of  the  Precinct  to  pledge  themselves  to  make  their  sub- 
scriptions through  the  Precinct  Committee  for  the  following  reasons  : 

(1)  There  are  many  prospective  large  subscribers  who  will  make 
much  larger  subscriptions  to  members  of  the  central  teams  than 
through  the  Precinct  teams,  because  through  business  or  per- 
sonal connections  of  an  influential  nature,  a  much  stronger  per- 
sonal appeal  to  the  prospect  may  be  made  by  the  business  men's 
teams. 

(2)  Residents  in  the  Precincts  who  are  connected  with  some  of  the 
larger  business  concerns  in  the  city  are  usually  influenced  to  make 
larger  subscriptions  through  their  business  connections,  because 
in  such  business  concerns  are  usually  held  meetings  in  which 
first-class  speakers  explain  the  issues  of  the  Campaign.  Further- 
more, the  influence  of  the  "team"  spirit  in  business  is  very  im- 
portant and  the  stimulus  of  one  person  acting  upon  another  will 
often  increase  the  subscription. 

The  plan  of  several  other  approaches  to  the  residents  of  a  city  does 
not  diminish  the  importance  of  the  Precinct  plan.  While  numbers  of 
people  will  make  their  subscriptions  through  other  agencies  or  com- 
mittees, there  is  scarcely  a  home  in  the  Precinct  where  there  will  not 
be  others  in  addition  to  the  head  of  the  house  who  will  be  willing  to 
make  subscriptions,  and  the  duties  assigned  to  the  Precinct  teams 
include  getting  a  subscription  from  every  member  of  the  household 
and  checking  up  every  individual  resident  in  the  Precinct,  so  that  it 


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may  be  ascertained  that  every  person  has  had  the  opportunity  to  make 
a  subscription. 

It  is  well  to  remember  the  importance  of  not  beginning  the  house- 
to-house  canvass  until  Friday.  November  15th.  continuing  it  until 
Monday  evening.  November  18.  or  until  it  has  been  definitely  estab- 
lished that  every  individual  in  the  Precinct  has  been  solicited  for  a 
subscription. 

In  making  up  the  Precinct  teams,  it  will  be  well  to  include  women 
of  ability  and  energy  as  members  of  the  team.  The  team  should  be 
in  every  case  composed  of  the  most  influential  active  workers.  It 
should  be  representative  of  the  various  constituencies  interested  in 
the  Campaign.  The  success  of  this  form  of  campaign  will  depend  very 
largely  on  most  efficient  work  by  each  member  of  the  teams. 

In  most  cases  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  establish  Precinct  head- 
quarters at  the  voting  place  in  the  Precinct.  If  this  cannot  be  arranged, 
it  is  suggested  that  a  garage  or  vacant  store  in  a  conspicuous  location 
be  secured. 

In  other  campaigns  it  has  been  found  helpful  to  post  the  list  of 
residents  in  the  Precinct  and  to  record  opposite  it  each  day  the  total 
amount  of  the  Precinct's  subscription  up  to  the  day  in  question  and 
the  amount  of  the  same  for  the  preceding  day.  This  will  be  a  constant 
record  of  all  subscribers  living  in  the  Precinct.  It  should  include  all 
those  who  have  subscribed  through  the  central  campaign  teams,  the 
industrial  organizations,  or  any  other  source,  as  well  as  those  that 
make  voluntary  subscriptions  at  Precinct  headquarters. 

At  the  close  of  each  campaign  day  the  Precinct  Captain  should 
make  up  his  report  of  the  day's  results  and  enclose  it  in  a  large  Pre- 
cinct Captain's  envelope  and  send  it  to  Precinct  headquarters.  Some 
member  of  the  team  should  be  designated  to  compile  the  daily  reports 
to  insure  uniformity  and  accuracy.  The  daily  report  should  include 
the  following  items : 

(1)  A  list  of  all  those  subscribing  outside  the  Precinct  and  de- 
positing their  subscriptions  within  the  Precinct. 

(2)  Daily  report  of  all  subscriptions  received  by  Precinct  teams. 

(3)  All  signed  pledge  cards  with  an  accurate  statement  of  the  num- 
ber of  subscriptions  classified  by  amount  and  the  aggregate  amounts 
subscribed. 

(4)  All  cash,  currency,  checks,  and  bonds. 

The  envelope  should  be  sealed,  and  if  for  any  reason  it  is  not  called 
for  on  that  particular  day  it  should  be  deposited  in  the  nearest  safe 
deposit  vault  for  safe  keeping.  Collections  will  be  made  before  noon 
each  day  for  the  preceding  day  by  properly  accredited  collectors. 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/precinctplanOOunit 


